HOME RENOVATIONS · MARKHAM
Home Renovations in Markham
We’re a Toronto-based design-build studio that serves Markham. The city’s housing stock ranges from 1980s and 1990s detached homes to newer townhouse developments in Cornell and Unionville. Sandra draws the plan, Johanna runs the build, and the same team stays on site from first sketch to final walkthrough.
Our approach
Renovating a Markham home isn’t a cosmetic project.
Most Markham renovations go off-budget for the same reason — surprises. A 1990s detached that looks move-in ready opens up to reveal undersized electrical panels. The original builder-grade finishes are hiding a subfloor that was never properly levelled. The kitchen layout that felt fine for twenty years turns out to share a load-bearing wall with the addition.
You signed a contract before anyone drew the existing conditions.
Now you have to choose: pay for the change orders, or scale back the dream.
MARKHAM · WHAT THE CITY ADDS
Home renovations in Markham — what the city adds
1980s and 1990s detached homes — built fast, finished basic
Markham’s residential neighbourhoods — Cornell, Unionville, Milliken, Buttonville — developed largely between the late 1970s and early 2000s. Most of the detached homes were built by volume builders on tight timelines, which means the bones are usually solid but the finishes were always placeholder.
What that means in practice: builder-grade cabinetry, hollow-core doors, laminate that has run its course, and bathroom layouts designed around the smallest possible footprint. The homes are large — two-storey, double garage, four bedrooms — but the interior finishes have never matched the square footage.
What we plan for is rarely just cosmetic
Once you open a wall in a 1990s Markham detached, you’re often looking at 60-amp or 100-amp electrical service where a full renovation needs 200. Plumbing runs that made sense for the original layout become a constraint the moment you want to move the kitchen island or relocate the primary ensuite.
We draw the existing conditions before we quote anything. That means we know what’s behind the drywall — not in week three when the trades find it, but before the contract is signed.
Permits go through the City of Markham Building Standards
The City of Markham processes permits through Markham Building Standards. Structural work, additions, and changes to HVAC, plumbing, or electrical all require permits. Depending on scope, a Committee of Adjustment variance may be needed if the project pushes setbacks or lot coverage limits. We pull and manage permits as part of the design-build — it’s not an extra.
We serve Markham as part of our broader Toronto and GTA practice. If your project sits closer to the city, see our Toronto home renovations page. Homeowners in neighbouring cities — Richmond Hill and Vaughan — work with us on the same model.
WHY HABITUAL HOMES
Why Markham homeowners work with us
1
Architecturally trained
Sandra trained as an architect in Venezuela. Drawings are not an afterthought — they’re how the renovation gets made.
2
Same team, end to end
Sandra designs. Johanna runs the site. The same two people stay on your project from first sketch to final walkthrough.
3
Existing conditions first
We measure and draw what’s actually there before we quote. That’s how we avoid the change orders in week three.
4
Permits handled in scope
Markham Building Standards, Committee of Adjustment if needed — we pull and manage permits as part of the design-build, not extra.
THE PROCESS
How a Habitual Homes renovation works
1
Feasibility & Design
(3–6 weeks) We visit the home, draw the existing conditions, develop design options, and agree on scope before anyone signs anything.
2
Documentation & Permits
(4–8 weeks) Construction drawings, full material spec, structural review if needed. We pull permits with Markham Building Standards and Committee of Adjustment.
3
Build & Handover
(10–16 weeks for a full reno) Johanna runs the site. Trades coordinated by the HH team. Weekly updates, walkthrough + defects list, one year of follow-up.
A RECENT PROJECT
A bedroom we just finished in Downtown Toronto
Custom walnut night tables and a vertical slat feature wall in a Downtown Toronto bedroom. The night tables were designed as built-in millwork — not furniture pushed against a wall — with planned electrical for sconces and integrated storage. Sandra drew every section before fabrication. The same approach scales to renovations across Toronto and the GTA.
WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY
Real reviews from real Toronto homeowners.
SERVICE AREA
We renovate across Toronto and the GTA
Habitual Homes works on residential renovations across Toronto and the inner GTA. If you’re in any of these cities, we likely know the building stock and the permit office.
Not in this list? Contact us → — we cover most of the GTA.
FREQUENTLY ASKED
Markham Renovation FAQ
Q1: How long does a Markham home renovation take?
A full kitchen or primary bathroom in a Markham detached typically runs 12–16 weeks from design sign-off to handover. That includes the permit cycle with Markham Building Standards. Scope and permit complexity are the biggest variables — we give you a realistic timeline during feasibility, not after the contract is signed.
Q2: Do you handle the permits in Markham?
Yes. Permits for structural work, plumbing, electrical, and HVAC changes go through Markham Building Standards. If the project requires a variance — setback, lot coverage, or height — we handle the Committee of Adjustment application as part of the design-build scope. You don’t manage that separately.
Q3: Can we live in the home during a Markham renovation?
For single-room renovations — a kitchen or bathroom — most clients manage with some disruption. For whole-floor or whole-home scopes, we typically recommend a temporary move. We’ll tell you honestly during feasibility what the site conditions will look like before you make that decision.
Planning a renovation? Let’s start with a conversation.
No commitment, no pressure. We’ll listen, ask questions, and tell you honestly whether we’re the right fit.